Wednesday, December 12: Medical Journal

We've all been told to exercise regularly in order to stay heart healthy. But can you overdo the workouts? Tonight, we learn how some athletes are putting themselves at risk in the pursuit of fitness. Also tonight … how doctors are attacking the pain of migraines with some unusual therapies. And, Susan Wornick brings us the amazing story of Steve Saling, an ALS patient who automated his home to make it work for him.

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Dr. Jay Austen, Chief of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, is one of the only doctors in New England trained to perform plastic surgery as a way of relieving migraine headaches. The procedure is only available to patients who experience migraines many times a month, and for whom no other therapies have been beneficial. The surgery is now covered by some health insurance providers.

Dr. Alfred E. Buxton, MD, is Director of the Clinical Electrophysiology Laboratory at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center’s CardioVascular Institute. Among his fields of interest: the impact of extreme athletics on the heart.

The Leonard Florence Center for Living in Chelsea is home to America’s first and only permanent residence dedicated to caring for individuals living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease. Located on the second floor, the Saling ALS residence is equipped with the latest computer-operated technology to allow individuals with ALS the most amount of independence possible. Residents are able to open doors, turn up or down their bedroom shades, or call for the elevator- all with help of a computer and a sensor that tracks head/eye movement for instruction.